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Now there were
shepherds in
that region living in the field and keeping the night watch over their
flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to
them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck
with
great fear. The angel said to them, “Do
not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will
be for all the people. For today in the
city of
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The
group Creed begins their song "With Arms Wide Open" singing the
thoughts of a man in a
marriage: "Well, I just heard the news today. It
seems my life is gonna change. I close
my eyes, begin to pray, as tears of joy stream down my face." He and his wife are going to have a
child. "We’ve created life," they
sing. And so they sing that everything
has changed. Anyone who has a child for
the first time knows how true that is. The
couple who really desires a child, and experiences that miracle in
their lives, understands what life is all about.
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If
there
is a dominant theme of the Christmas stories in the Gospels, it is the
theme of "joy." The angel announces to the
shepherds that something has happened that is "good news of great
joy." The Messiah has been born. The person who is
going to open the gates of
paradise is now in your midst. Be
joyful. The world is about to be saved.
The group Creed, describing the action of a couple having their first child, sings of the "tears of joy" that overcome them. They have created life. Everything has changed now. Their world is now one of joy. Joy is an attitude. It is the way people look at life. It means that in general, we are content with the life we have, and so we are happy with it. Just as the angel told the shepherds that life was about to get better, just as a couple feels good about the life that they created, the celebration of the life we have is the core of why we are happy. Christian people are joyful people because as they look at the lives they have, lives that have been redeemed by Jesus, they see cause for being pleased. They know that life will bring sadness at times; they know that things will not always work out the way they want; they know that there will be low moments. But even given the negatives, they know they have life. It is a great life. It can be eternally happy. |
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THOUGHT
What are some characteristics of "Christian joy"? PRAYER Good
and gracious God, you give us reason to be joyful people since you have
given
us your Son to be our savior and guide. May
we adopt an attitude of joy in our lives that becomes part of
everything we do. Be with us, we pray.
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©2007
Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America |
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